Cheap Summer Holiday Tips 2011
With all this talk about deepening recessions and higher air travel costs, it's gonna be harder than ever to get away next summer. I was even thinking about staying at home next year, but judging by the prices here, my only option is to implement some of my tried and trusted methods to bag me a nice tan. In the past I have been guilty of going the orthodox route and lining the pockets of the Thomas Cooks and Thompsons of this world. That was until I discovered a couple of pretty rudimentary ways of cutting the costs drastically.
I mean, everything is in our favour these days. We can research airfares, hotels, destinations you name it. There is no reason to pay top whack for anything. Last year for instance my girlfriend and I managed two weeks in a tidy little hotel with a nice pool and great facilities for about £275 each with air fares and that was in July when all the package brigade were probably paying three times as much. OK enough prevaricating let's get down brass tacks:
Think ahead. Give yourself enough time to plan properly and take advantage of the best deals on airfares and hotel costs when they come on the market. For instance Easyjet in the UK release their summer airfares for the high traffic destinations in late September or early October. Similarly hotels are anxious to begin selling their rooms and some great can be had online.
Think laterally. The big holiday companies have got most of the really popular hotels sewn up, but there are still bags of other smaller and cheaper hotels looking to pick up residual trade. They don't have the resources of the industry-backed places because they don't have the money to advertise, so what they do is try to garner trade through their own websites. These sites won't be on the first page of Google so it could pay you to look on pages way way down the rankings.
Hostels. No, wait, don't dismiss it! I know what you're thinking: Dirty places full of drugged-up backpacking teenagers on their gap years. True in some cases but not always. Take a look at Hostelbookers.com and you'll find plenty of places that are very good hotels who can't sell all their rooms so they advertise on sites like this to fill them. There are some real bargains to be had and you don't have to share anything.
Budget. It is imperative to make a budget and stay within it. Take into account all your peripheral costs like travel from home to airport and airport to accomodation. try to use cheap local public transport rather than taxis or private car hire. If you're self-catering, do what you do at home and do one big shop at a local supermarket rather than shop every day. You'd be surprised how cheaply you can eat by doing it that way.
Source:ezinearticles
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